Date Night. The two words every hard working, stressed out, over tired parent longs to hear! You look forward to actually washing your hair, putting on some makeup and getting dressed in something other than yoga pants to spend some kid free time with your significant other.
But let’s be honest: when you are a parent, date nights usually consist of dinner out at a place that doesn’t serve chicken fingers, or someone’s wedding. You have about a 2-4 hour window before you start calculating in your head how much you are going to owe the babysitter, what time will the baby wake up for his feeding, or should I have that third glass of wine or will I pay for it in the morning?
While date nights are always great to recharge and reconnect with your spouse they can sometimes seem predictable and for lack of a better word..boring. But what if Date Night wasn’t just limited to night time? What if you could have a Day Date? If you are fortunate enough to have a trusted friend of family member willing to watch your kids for the better part of the day, a Day Date is something I strongly encourage every couple to try at least once. It’s a great way to recharge with your honey while doing something or going somewhere you either can’t or just plain don’t want to take your kids to!
And so I give you five awesome day date ideas …
1. Be a Kid Again
We all know kids love amusement parks, and they are great family day trips. However, if you are thrill ride enthusiasts like my husband and I, you aren’t going to get to ride that triple loop roller coaster with a toddler on hand! If you are fortunate enough to live close to a place like Six Flags or even Disneyland, take a day to go without your kids in tow! Ride the rides, eat the junk food, and see the shows! If you are feeling that “mom guilt” for going sans kids, bring them home a souvenir! They will be just as excited to get a special surprise when you get home as they would if they joined you, and you get to be the kid for a day!
2. Go on a Wine Tour
Wineries are popping up everywhere across the US and there are usually a few within close proximity to each other, which makes visiting more than one a lot easier. If you are a fan of the vino, a wine tour is a great way to relax and enjoy some good wine. A lot of wineries also offer live entertainment, free tastings, food, and tours of the winery itself where you can tour the vineyard and learn all about how the wine is made. Make it extra special (and safe!) by renting a car service or limo to take you to and from each winery if you plan on indulging in a little extra. Not into wine? Craft breweries are becoming more and more popular in all parts of the US – especially the major cities!
3. Spa Day
Chasing after kids all day every day can wreak havoc on your body. Take some time with your sweetie and check out a local day spa. Get a romantic couple’s massage and enjoy all the amenities the spa has to offer. Most spas include unlimited use of their facilities such as saunas, plunge pools and hot tubs all day. If the spa of your choice happens to have a café on hand, grab a light lunch and revel in the relaxing environment, and most importantly enjoy the PEACE AND QUIET!!!
4. Get Outside
We’re always telling our kids to get outside and play – well now it’s our turn! If you both love sports, go play a round of golf. Enjoy working out? Go take a hike or bike ride together. Love the water? Go to the beach, take a boat out for a ride, or if you are feeling more adventurous, go jet skiing or parasailing! If you live in a city, take a walk and explore your neighborhood. Go to a park, see some famous landmarks, museums or art galleries and top it off with a late lunch at your favorite kid free restaurant! It’s amazing what a little fresh air can do!!
5. DO NOTHING
This one is my personal favorite. Before we had kids, my husband and I used to enjoy what we called Lazy Day Sundays. Every Sunday, we would sleep in, stay in our pjs, order pizza and binge watch movies all day. Nothing got done. No laundry, no yard work, no errands were run. We literally took the day to relax and recharge before heading into our crazy work weeks. It was the best day of the week. Fast forward seven years and two kids later and the Lazy Day Sundays have been replaced with Costco Run Sunday, Birthday Party Sunday and Laundry, Laundry Laundry Sunday.
Send the kids off to grandma and grandpa’s for the day and stay at home and DO NOTHING. Don’t check your email, get off Facebook, leave the laundry for tomorrow and just ENJOY each other, because whether it’s a Day Date or Date Night that’s what it’s really all about.
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